The Pangarchulla Peak Trek, which passes through Nanda Devi National Park, is the ideal fusion of natural beauty and difficulty. You see some breathtaking scenery, including enchanted views of all the famous mountains in the Uttarakhand region, vast stretches of oak and pine forests, expansive meadows, and, of course, some snow and large boulders. Pangarchulla has it all.
Pangarchulla is a challenging trip that requires strength and endurance, making it the ideal introduction peak if you want to take your trekking to the next level. It serves as a training peak for people who desire to climb higher and more difficult mountains. Before diving into the pool headfirst, it serves the purpose of testing the waters.
Trekking Difficulty:
According to the Bikat Rating Scale, Pangarchulla Peak is a level 5 trip.
Regarding the BRS: After considering the geographic and climatic parameters of each trip and expedition in our portfolio, the Bikat Rating Scale assigns a difficulty rating.
This scale states that a trek rated one will be a decent place to start if you are a beginner who is unclear of your fitness level and doesn’t know what to expect on a trek.
The treks graded 2 or 3 will suit your needs if you enjoyed your first trekking experience and want to push yourself further.
The first difficulty is reaching the trailhead.
Traveling to the Himalayas is extremely time- and money-consuming if you don’t live in the northern part of India. Additionally, getting to the base of Pangarchulla requires a time commitment. There are no direct flights or trains to the trailhead, Joshimath. This indicates that from the nearest city, it will take a full day to travel to Joshimath (Dehradun and Rishikesh).
Be prepared to gain a lot of altitude on the first day if you are beginning your trek from Dehradun (430 M to 1,890 M). Acclimatization is essential to finishing the hike and returning safely because we are climbing rather swiftly.
The weather along the Pangarchulla Trail also has a habit of surprising us. Because of the trail’s abrupt turns, we are never sure when we will be hit by our next snowstorm, a sway of strong winds, or a downpour of torrential rain, which makes the walk fascinating but also raises the difficulty level. It’s difficult to adjust to higher altitudes because of the weather, which is always changing. You wouldn’t want to treat Pangarchulla’s battle with altitude lightly.
Do not forget to hydrate well, dress in layers as directed by the leader, and ascend at your own pace. These easy-to-use but powerful techniques can help prevent all discomforts brought on by high altitude.
Problem 2: The nature of the ascent
The summit serves as a practise area for a somewhat complex and exceptionally steep climb, and is regarded as the ideal journey to advance from trekking to mountaineering. It exposes you to difficulties that tend to force you outside of your comfort zone. The mountain also personally imparts a lesson on the value of soft skills like teamwork. When you find yourself in the strange terrain that the incredibly long summit push on the peak offers to you, even seemingly straightforward actions like walking will require some reevaluation.
It is unpredictable what kind of snow or ice you may encounter on the trail during the winter.
The difficulties that arise in the winter are exactly the opposite—a lack of snow or ice. The majority of the snow from the previous season has already melted by the winter season, which lasts from October through December. Long stretches of uncovered boulders that are as large as dreams are left in their wake by the melted snow. While climbing on ice is difficult, climbing on rocks with enormous gaps between them calls for a distinct set of abilities as well as a combination of patience, focus, and extreme caution.
However, if you are unfamiliar with this type of terrain, do not be discouraged by these difficulties. You will receive the instruction necessary to operate the equipment and navigate the terrain during the walk from us.
Itinerary in brief:
Day 1:
Joshimath – Dhak – Akhrotgetta; 12 km by taxi from Joshimath to Dhak. Trek about 3–4 hours from Dhak to Akhrotgetta. Since you’ll need to start the summit trek at 3 am, go to bed early.
Day 2:
Summit Day! Akrotgetta – Pangarchulla peak – Akrotgetta! It will be a long day, about 13 hours, including a ridge walk and a breathtaking summit vista. It’s not pleasant, to be honest.
Day 3:
Akhrotgetta to Gulling; A leisurely day with about 3 to 4 hours of easy walking and a breathtaking sunset.
Day 4:
Gulling to Auli; This is the most laid-back day and the one with the most picturesque Tali lake to end your walk.